Articles tagged with: Letters

How did letter writing, scribes, and oral reading actually work in the first century? Step into the world of ancient correspondence to explore why Paul’s letter to Philemon was far less private than it seems—and how historical context reframes early Christian letters.

The earliest Christians didn’t have church buildings; they met in ancient Roman living rooms. Discover the radical social dynamics of the Apostle Paul’s house churches, where enslaved people and wealthy patrons called each other siblings, women held prominent leadership roles, and Roman hierarchies were turned upside down.

Thirteen letters in the New Testament claim to be written by the Apostle Paul, but scholars believe he only wrote seven. Discover the fascinating history of biblical pseudepigraphy (forgery), and learn how anonymous, later authors wrote letters like 1 Timothy and Ephesians to “domesticate” Paul’s radical theology for a new era.

The Apostle Paul didn’t write systematic theology; he wrote urgent letters to chaotic communities. Discover the historical context behind Paul’s seven “undisputed” letters—from his angry defense in Galatians to his theological masterpiece in Romans—and learn how to read someone else’s ancient mail.

Was the Apostle Paul a systematic theologian, or an urgent apocalyptic visionary? Discover the core ideas of the historical Paul, from his belief that the world was ending in his lifetime to his highly controversial arguments regarding the Jewish Law and Gentile inclusion.

Who was the historical Apostle Paul? Discover how modern scholars reconstruct his life, from his roots as a Greek-speaking Pharisee and zealous persecutor of the early Jesus movement, to his world-altering apocalyptic revelation.